


Fool in the Rain

by supreme_genius



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Angst, Language, M/M, Sexual Situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 16:53:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/813830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supreme_genius/pseuds/supreme_genius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The truth comes out when Monroe and Nick are stuck inside the trailer during a rain storm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fool in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Grimm.  
> I don't make money from this.  
> This is unbeta'd.

                Nick was lounging on the bed, flipping through one of the tomes, while Monroe sat at the desk doing the same. It had just started drizzling when they pulled up to the trailer. The more time they spent there, the heavier the rain got. Before they knew it, there was a torrential downpour outside.

                “You think it’ll stop soon?”

                Monroe looks up, directing his attention outside. He shakes his head. “Nope. The forecast was calling for heavy rain throughout the afternoon.” He looks at Nick. “We probably should’ve grabbed a few books and taken them home.”

                Nick nods. “Yeah.” He sighs and sets the tome aside. “At least we’ve got some coffee and a few doughnuts.”

                “Yeah, or else I’d have to eat you.” His eyes glow red.

                Nick practically jumps up. His eyes are wide and his jaw is almost to the floor. “What?!”

                “Dude, chill out. I was kidding. You know I’m vegetarian.”

                Nick glares but quickly smiles. “You’re an ass.”

                The half dozen doughnuts soon disappear, as do the two venti-sized coffees. Monroe gets up to stretch and paces back and forth a few times. He makes sure to complain about that disgrace Nick calls a desk chair and rambles on about how a better chair might help them work better. Nick smiles and shakes his head, nodding every so often to make it seem like he is listening intently.

                “You’re not even listening to me, are you?” He stops pacing and stands in front of the bed, staring down at Nick.

                Nick just nods. “Sure, man.”

                “Dick.” Monroe grabs a pillow and smacks his friend with it.

                “Hey, what was that for?”

                “Really?” He shakes his head.

                “You were talking about how you hate that chair.” He smiles a smug grin. “If you don’t like it, then go get a new one.”

                “It’s your trailer.”

                “But I don’t care about the chair.”

                “Yeah because you’re always in bed.”

                “It’s comfy.”

                Without saying anything, Monroe shoves Nick over and lays down. “It’s a bit short.”

                Nick raises a brow. “You’re a bit tall.”

                “Don’t mock me.” He elbows Nick in the ribs.

                “You know, it’s kind of nice – the rain.”

                “Peaceful…if you’d be quiet.”

                Nick rolls his eyes but closes his mouth. It’s not long before the sound of rain is lulling them both to sleep. The rain keeps pouring as the two of them snooze. Slowly, their sleepy movements – rolling over, wiggling around – bring them closer and closer.

It’s Nick who wakes up first. He blinks a few times and focuses his eyes. He’s curled up against Monroe’s side, an arm thrown over his chest. Their faces are close and Nick takes a moment to really look at Monroe. He knows he should be freaking out or quickly rolling over, moving away. But he’s not. He won’t. He shuts his eyes and just stays there. He’ll pretend he didn’t know, that it was an accident.

Monroe wakes up with a growl. He jumps up and Nick gets pushed away. His eyes are red when he looks over to Nick.

“You okay, Monroe?”

Monroe’s breathing is heavy. “Uh…yeah…”

“Bad dream?”

Monroe just nods.  

Nick slowly reaches over and lays his hand on Monroe’s shoulder. He squeezes just a bit. Monroe turns to look at Nick and their eyes lock. It’s intense and a little weird as they just stare at each other. Nick wants to ask what the dream was, but he won’t. He knows Monroe won’t say. He wouldn’t say what it was the last time this happened. Monroe had fallen asleep on the sofa while waiting for Nick to get home, despite being told _I’m going on a stake-out with Hank. I don’t know when I’ll be home. Please don’t wait up._ Nick had come home just after two in the morning and found his housemate stretched out and sleeping on the sofa. His brows had been furrowed and Nick will never ever bring it up, but he heard Monroe whimper. Nick had crouched down next to the sofa and gently laid his hand on Monroe’s chest, giving him a little shake to wake him. Monroe had woken up with a huff and panted a few times. He looked up at Nick with sad, red eyes. Nick had asked what he was dreaming about but he wouldn’t answer.

How could Monroe possibly answer when all his nightmares involved himself, a reaper, or countless other people killing Nick? How do you tell your best friend that you just dreamt that you killed him with your bare hands? It was easier for Monroe to just avoid it, change the subject, do anything but tell Nick the truth.

Somewhere, deep down, Nick sort of knew. Maybe he didn’t know the fine details, but he knew the nightmares involved something that really bothered Monroe, that there was probably a good reason he didn’t want to talk about them. He still knows it now and that’s why he doesn’t ask. He figures just trying to be there for Monroe is enough.

“Maybe we should head home.” Just as the words fall from Nick’s mouth, a crack of thunder shakes the trailer. “Or not.”

Monroe lays back with a sigh. He pulls out his phone and checks the weather. “Looks like it might lighten up soon.”

“Good, I’m starving.”

“You wanna get pizza tonight? I don’t really feel like cooking.”

“I could cook something.”

Monroe laughs.

“What?”

“You can’t cook, man.”

Nick shoves Monroe, who almost rolls off the bed. Monroe pushes himself back up and rolls over, laying closer to Nick.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Of course?”

“I feel like a shitty friend.”

“What? Monroe, you’re a great friend.”

He shakes his head. “I was glad when you can Juliette officially broke things off. I know I should have been rooting for the two of you. But…”

Nick lips are bent into a frown. “But what?”

“It just didn’t feel right.” He sighs. “I knew if you two got back together, you’d move back in with her…and I’d lose my best friend.”

“Wow…”

“I know you probably hate me. I understand – ”

“Monroe, I could never hate you. I just didn’t know I was _that_ important.”

“What? Dude, you’ve been living with me for, let’s see, eight months. You really think I’d do that for just anyone?”

“I guess…I just never thought about it like that. I thought you were just being nice.”

“Not exactly a term that’s synonymous with a blutbad.”

“I _really have_ appreciated it, man. And I’ve liked it. It’s been great.”

Monroe can’t help but smile a bit. “Even all the weird foods I try to get you to eat?”

“Yeah, even with the weird foods.”

The next crack of thunder catches them off guard, making them both jump. Monroe won’t mention it but he can hear Nick’s heart pounding. Briefly he thinks it’s from the thunder but as time passes, Nick’s heart keeps hammering. He looks at Nick and there are big grey eyes staring back at him. His eyes dart to Nick’s lips before quickly returning to his eyes.

Nick moves closer, leaving just a few inches between their faces. Something surges through Monroe and he closes the gap. Their lips meet in a kiss that’s awkward and rushed. Their noses bump and Monroe is just a little too aggressive. When they pull away, the awkwardness of the kiss is written all over their faces.

Nick’s cheeks are quick to turn red as he turns away. “Uh, sorry, Monroe.”

“Yeah, um…” Monroe shakes his head. “That was…”

“Weird.”

“Yeah.” Monroe nods.

“We could try again.” Nick looks up, slightly hopeful. Monroe’s hesitation has Nick stammering. “Or not. Sorry. I don’t even know what I was thinking.” Nick’s quick to push himself up from the bed, but is pulled back.

Monroe pulls Nick back to the bed and kisses him again. It’s still a little weird. Nick had never kissed a guy before Monroe and all he could think about was how his beard tickled. But it’s sort of a nice tickle. Monroe, on the other hand, had experimented a little while he was at Brown. He liked the aggressiveness and the strength of guys he’d been with. So really it came as no surprise when he’d realized that he was starting to develop feelings for his best friend the Grimm.

Even though it’s still weird, this kiss is better.  They’re more in sync. Monroe tones it down bit, letting Nick take the lead. Nick is quick to situate himself so he’s straddling Monroe’s lap and he can’t help but grind his hips down. When they part, Monroe’s eyes are a dull shade of red and Nick can’t help but grin.

“Better?”

“Much.” Monroe wraps his arms around Nick’s waist.

Nick slides his hands down the front of Monroe’s flannel, undoing the top button. When Monroe doesn’t object, he undoes the next one. After the third, Nick’s absolutely sick of buttons.

“Fucking…buttons…” Nick pants out. “Dammit, Monroe!”

Nick’s only about halfway through undoing the buttons when he gets fed up and just rips at the front of Monroe’s shirt. Buttons fly off, scattering around them. When Monroe opens his mouth to object, Nick is quick to silence him with a kiss.

Monroe’s finally able to pull away and get a word in. “Dude, what’s gotten into you?”

“I’m tired of waiting.”

“I’m not going anywhere. It’s still raining. We’ve got time. Calm down.”

“I know…I just…really want this, okay?”

“Okay.” Monroe’s voice is soft as he lets Nick push his flannel off his shoulders.

Monroe hisses as Nick’s cold hands slip beneath his t-shirt. Soon Monroe’s t-shirt joins his flannel on the floor. Then Nick pulls off his own hoodie and t-shirt, not wanting to wait for Monroe to do it. His mouth attacks Monroe’s neck, kissing and nipping, earning a throaty growl. When Nick’s hands find their way beneath the waist of Monroe’s pants, Monroe practically howls. As Nick’s fingers attempt to undo the belt, he finds his hands being pushed away.

“Monroe,” Nick pleads.

“Can we just…” Monroe pushes Nick’s hands away again. “…go a little slower?”

“What? Why?”

“You don’t think this is a little too much too soon?”

“No.” He palms Monroe over his jeans.

“Nick,” Monroe says more forcefully, pushing Nick away again. “Nick!”

“Damn it, Monroe. Why are you stopping this?”

“Do you really want me?”

“What? Yeah, of course.”

“Really? Or do you just want someone to take your mind of Juliette?”

“Why would you even say that?”

“Because it’s true, isn’t it?”

“Monroe, what does it matter _why_ I want you? I want you. Isn’t that enough?”

“No.”

A disgusted look covers Nick’s face. He shoves Monroe as he gets up. Monroe just takes it. Without saying a word, Nick picks up his clothes and pulls them back on. Monroe just watches him at first. Nick doesn’t wear rejection well. His body is tense and Monroe just wants to reach out, hug him, make it better. But he knows he can’t. Because he did that. So he just grabs his clothes and puts them back on.

“Looks like the rain is letting up.” Nick speaks very matter-of-factly.

“Nick, I’m – ”

“We should probably head home.”

The drive home feels longer than usual. The silence is deafening. Every so often, Monroe looks over to Nick, who just keeps his eyes on the road. Nick doesn’t once look at Monroe as they pull up, get out of the car, and go inside. Nick heads straight for the fridge, grabs a beer, and goes up to his room. He slams the door and it makes Monroe jump.

Monroe chugs his first beer, standing in front of the fridge with the door open. The second beer he drinks a little slower, moving to the sofa. The third one he drinks as he paces – more like stomps – around the living room. Opting against a forth, Monroe climbs the steps and stands outside Nick’s room. He takes a few deep breaths and calms down a bit before knocking.

“Go away.”

“Nick, come on.”

When Nick doesn’t answer, Monroe slowly opens the door.

“Can we talk?”

“Go away.”

“No. You’re gonna sit there and listen to me. I’m sorry for what I said, at least…I’m sorry for how I approached it. I’m thrilled that you want me. It just sucks that I’m some kind of replacement.”

“You’re not a replacement, Monroe,” Nick says, not bothering to look away from the window.

“I just need to know that if you want me, it’s because you genuinely like me. Because I honestly can’t take getting strung along by another person I care about, okay? Because I really like you. But if you don’t feel the same, then I’ll do my best to just tuck away my feelings like I have for the last year, and we can just go back to being friends.”

“Year?”

“What?”

“You’ve had feelings for me for the last _year_?”

“Well, uh…yeah.” Monroe nods.

“You know what makes me feel worse about this?”

“What?”

“So have I.”

“Nick…”

“Monroe, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like my second choice, or made you feel like I was jerking you around. That was never my intention. I guess I just tried to focus on Juliette, thinking that maybe if she remembered me, I could just go back to my old life and these feelings would go away.” He sighs. “Honestly, I was really confused. I had no idea what I really wanted. But as time went on…you made it so easy to want to be here, with you.” Nick looks up, his eyes are bloodshot and puffy.

Monroe sits on the bed next to Nick, extending his legs. They’re much longer than Nick’s; that makes his smile. Nick’s legs don’t even reach the floor when he sits on the counter. Somehow, that little less-than-six-foot-tall Grimm has managed to shove him aside, walk into his life, and completely take over. But Monroe let him.

“For a while I thought having you as just a friend was better than not having you in my life at all.” Monroe’s eyes dart over to Nick. “I was glad you came to me when you needed a place. Made me feel like I was an important person in your life.”

“Monroe, you’re the most important person in my life.”

“Really?” He looks over at Nick and smiles a little.

Nick nods. “Yeah.”

“Me too.”

“One more time?” Nick bites his bottom lip and leans towards Monroe.

Without answering, Monroe leans over and kisses Nick. This time it’s good, _really_ good. Nick’s arms wrap around Monroe’s waist, pulling him closer. Monroe kisses like his life depends on it, like he’s been waiting his entire life for that kiss. And, in a way, he has.

“You could, uh, sleep in here tonight,” Nick suggests as he kisses right below Monroe’s jaw.

“Do you really think…”

“I said _sleep_ , Monroe.”

“Okay. Yeah.”

Monroe shifts his weight so that he’s lying next to Nick, their limbs still tangled. Eventually, their shirts and jeans are tossed aside in favor of comfort. They steal kisses for a while, until eyelids start to get heavy.

“Goodnight, Monroe.”

“Goodnight, Nick.”


End file.
